| T’was the weekend before Christmas, and all through the yard, Not a gift was being given, not even a card The tools were all hung, in the garage with care, With hopes that St. Nicholas soon would repair. The shovel with blade all rusty and cracked, The pitchfork still shiny, but handle it lacked. When out on my lawn, (its brown and abused) I could see poor old Santa, looking confused. No list had been left for Santa to see, No gardening gifts were under the tree. But wait there’s still time, it’s not Christmas yet, And gardening gifts are the quickest to get. You can forget the silk tie, the fluffy new sweater; Give something to make the garden grow better. If she wants a gift shiny, then don’t be a fool, It’s not a dumb diamond, but a sparkling new tool. If fragrance is listed you can forget French perfume, It’s a pile of manure that’ll make gardeners swoon. Give night crawlers, not nightgowns, a hose that sprays water. (Anything for the kitchen is not worth the bother.) Give a great gift that can dig in the dirt, It’s better than any designer-brand shirt. Now look quick at Santa, this guy’s not so dumb, Under his glove, he hides a green thumb. His knees are so dirty, his back how it aches, His boots stomp on slugs, (he gives them no breaks). The guy works only winter, you can surely see why, For the rest of the year it’s as easy as pie. He has elves plant through spring, pull weeds in the summer, In fall they all harvest, but winter’s a bummer And so Christmas gives Santa a part-time employment, ‘Till spring when the blooms are his real enjoyment. So ask the big guy for garden gifts this year, Seeds, plants and tools, Santa holds them all dear. You see, malls may be crowded, vendors hawking their wares, But visit a nursery; stress-free shopping is there. Now Santa’s flown off, to the nursery he goes, And his voice fills the night with a loud Hoe! Hoe! Hoe! Reprinted from Rhode’s Newsletter with permission. |
Compost is recycled organic material. Grass clippings, leaves and plant refuse, things that used to be thrown into the landfill, are converted with the help of microbes, molds and insects into food for our garden.
The outside edge (as much as 12” can dry out fairly quickly so I prefer the round style—acts like an insulator. The interior stays moist and heats up with microbial activity. When the pile is turned, the dry outer material is stirred into the moist interior and helps to aerate the pile. Depending on your available space, it is nice to have more than one container so you can move the compost when turning it. Three containers allow you to have compost at different stages of maturation; new, in-process, finished. 
Fifth grade students from West Dallas learn about root crops from Jim and Abbe. Did you know that the turnip or white turnip is a member of the parsley family, Brassica rapa var. rapa? It is a root vegetable known for its bulbous tap root which is high in vitamin C and grown as a food crop for both humans and livestock. Turnips are easy and quick to grow (35-70 days) and can be eaten raw (roots) or cooked (roots and leaves). Turnips like well-tilled soil and constant water. Both of these conditions are provided in our raised organic beds via our home-made compost and drip irrigation system.
Carolyn demonstrates the technique of hand-spinning cotton thread to the fifth grade students . Did you know that cotton is the most important non-food crop in the world? Cotton has been spun, woven & dyed since prehistoric times. Today, industrial uses for cotton are just as important as the cloth that originally was woven. These products vary widely from cloth-based such as diapers, bandages, and paper to cosmetics, soap and oils; dynamite and plastics; and that sidewalk scourge, chewing gum (cellulose). There are 39 different species of the genus Gossypium, 4 of which were commercially grown since all cotton was domesticated in antiquity. The variety G. hirsutum became known as “upland cotton” and comprises 90% of the world’s cotton crop.
A 5th grade student from West Dallas Community School gets up close & personal with a “red wiggler” worm. During our Vermi-composting lesson, he & his classmates learned that this little ‘Eisenia fetida’ is one of approximately 2700 different kinds of worms of a large variety of species. Did you know that “red wigglers” (aka brown-nose or red worms) work best in container/bin composting. That’s because they are non-burrowing and move horizontally through the soil.
Journaling is an integral component of the educational program offered by the Demonstration Garden. Our Nature Journals, made from recycled materials are constructed by our student visitors and personalized to reflect their connections with the garden. A 5th grader from West Dallas Community School proudly proclaims, “Nature is My Life.” Her journal became her memory book of observations, descriptions, illustrationsand connections; a special way of carrying a piece of the garden home with her.
DALLAS GARDEN BUZZ 